Fighting Fire with Fire

Elijah said to his king, “Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” [1]

These 850 false prophets were spreading the king and queen’s propaganda. Every major news networks was promoting the false narrative of the reigning regime to Elijah’s nation.

What did the Holy Spirit lead God’s servant to do? He called a gathering where the propagandizers would experience the power of God. Elijah told them…

“The god who answers by fire—He is God.” [2]

The government’s disinformation bureau failed to produce fire despite trying to do so to the point of hurting themselves. Elijah prayed…

“Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

“Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the soil, and licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, ‘The Lord—He is God! The Lord—He is God!’” [3]

The Lord fights fire with fire. The major networks of Elijah’s day had been firing flaming arrows of lies against God and against God’s true servants. Now, it was God’s turn to respond. What did God do? He sent fire from heaven that could not be quenched. The result was that all 850 spreaders of lies were silenced that day…

“Then Elijah commanded them, ‘Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!’ They seized them and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.” [4]

The fire that fell from heaven in Elijah’s day was a prototype of the tongues of fire that fell on the disciples of Jesus on Pentecost Day! The Pentecostal tongues of fire were signs of God’s presence as when God spoke to Moses from the flaming bush that did not burn up. Like, the pillar of fire over the tabernacle in the wilderness! When the fire of the Holy Spirit filled Peter in Acts 2, he preached, and more than 3,000 souls were added to God’s kingdom that day.

This is what the world needs now! God’s people filled with God’s Holy Spirit. Fighting fire with fire!

[1] 1 Kings 18:19
[2] 1 Kings 18:24
[3] 1 Kings 18:37-39
[4] 1 Kings 18:40

By My Spirit says the Lord Almighty

"Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit says the Lord Almighty." [1]

Having taken in a steady diet of stories and movies about human heroes growing up, the Lord Jesus had to do so much in my life to help me see that He has been the "hero" behind every godly man and woman in the Bible.

When I began writing about Jeremiah the Prophet, I thought I had found a human hero that I could emulate because I have a nation in spiritual decline like he did. I experience grief for the consequences of sin like Jeremiah did. I feel compelled to speak truth amidst lies as he did. But alas, no one can emulate the greatness of the Biblical characters apart from the gifting of the Holy Spirit in his or her life. Jeremiah was moved by the Holy Spirit with prophetic utterances that were precise and timely.

The Book of Judges is a case and point for the fact that apart from the Spirit of God, human leaders cannot lead their nation well...

"The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him [Samson]..." [2]

The leader cannot deliver a nation from the hands of it's enemies without an enduement of power and insight from the Holy Spirit. Its always the Spirit of God leading and guiding the judges in the Book of Judges. The Spirit of God is the difference maker.

Praise be to God for His marvelous grace! He gives gifts of His Spirit to unworthy and flawed people who believe in Him. He anoints people to do great exploits for His glory. He often works through us in spite of us. Glory to God!

[1] Zechariah 4:6
[2] Judges 14:6

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 "“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved." (Acts 16:31)